3 syllables: Cav, ern, ous. Stress on Cav.
KAV-ur-nuhs
/ˈkævɚnəs/
Cavernous is pronounced KAV-ur-nuhs (/ˈkævɚnəs/). It has three syllables (Cav-ern-ous), with the stress on "Cav". Cavernous is an adjective describing something that resembles or contains a cavern, especially in being large, hollow, or dark. It conveys a sense of vast, tunnel-like depth or spacious emptiness, often used metaphorically for spaces or sounds that feel expansive or echoing. The word emphasizes physical or figurative hollowness and magnitude.
adjectiveCavernous is an adjective describing something that resembles or contains a cavern, especially in being large, hollow, or dark. It conveys a sense of vast, tunnel-like depth or spacious emptiness, often used metaphorically for spaces or sounds that feel expansive or echoing. The word emphasizes physical or figurative hollowness and magnitude.
"The abandoned theater had a cavernous interior that echoed with every footstep."
"Her voice sounded cavernous after shouting through the mountains."
"The cavernous warehouse stretched for acres, its shadows swallowing the light."
Pronounce as CA-vər-nəs with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈkævərnəs/ (US/UK/AU share the same rhoticity for this word). The first vowel is the short “a” as in cat, followed by a schwa in the second syllable and a final unaccented syllable. Tongue placement: start with a raised front tongue for /æ/, relax into a mid-central schwa for /ə/, and finish with a neutral /nəs/. Audio reference: try hearing /ˈkævərnəs/ in standard dictionaries or pronunciation platforms like Forvo or YouGlish.
Common errors: 1) Overemphasizing the second syllable, turning it into ca-VEHR-nous; correct it by keeping primary stress on CA- and reducing the second syllable to a schwa. 2) Slurring the /v/ into a /w/ or /b/ sound; ensure clear labiodental contact for /v/. 3) Mispronouncing the final -ous as /ɔs/ or /əs/; keep final unaccented /nəs/. Practice by isolating CA-/kæ/ and then adding /vər/ before the final /nəs/.
Across US/UK/AU, the main variation is vowel quality in /æ/ and the rhoticity of /r/. In General American, /ˈkævərnəs/ features a rhotic /r/ following /ə/; in many British varieties, /r/ is non-rhotic, but for a word with /r/ spelled, you may hear a linking or slight /ɜː/ coloration before the schwa. Australian English generally retains rhoticity with a clear /r/, but vowel qualities can be flatter, and /æ/ may be slightly raised or backed depending on speaker. Overall rhythm and stress stay on the first syllable in all three, with minor vowel shifts.
It’s challenging due to the cluster around the /v/ and the quick transition from /æ/ to /ə/ and then to /nəs/. The /æ/ is short and tense, while the /ə/ is a weak, mid-central vowel that can be easy to skip. Also, the /r/ in rhotic accents may differentially color the middle syllable. The final unstressed /nəs/ can blend unless you articulate the nasal and schwa clearly. Focus on crisp /v/ and a relaxed /ə/ before /nəs/.
Yes, in fast speech, the /æ/ in the first syllable can reduce toward a near-schwa if the speaker is very casual, but in careful pronunciation you maintain /æ/ to keep the first syllable prominent. The second syllable often reduces the schwa further toward a centralized vowel, but avoid losing the /v/ sound. In careful speech, keep CA-/æ/ distinct from /ə/ and ensure the final /nəs/ is still audible.
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Cavernous originates from the noun cavern, from Latin cavern- (cavern, hollow place), from cav- ‘vault, hollow’ with the suffix -ous forming adjectives. The term entered English via Old French cavernous or directly from Latin roots, reflecting a sense of hollowness or vault-like space. The core meaning has long related to physical hollowness (a cavern) but gradually extended to describe anything vast, echoing, or empty in a figurative sense. Early uses associated architecture or natural hollows; by the 18th and 19th centuries, it often described large interiors or resonant sounds (a cavernous hall, a cavernous void). The word’s evolution tracks a shift from concrete to abstract spaciousness, retaining a strong physical connotation of depth and darkness.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Cavernous" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Cavernous"
-nt) sounds
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